


A Moment of Honesty

by Valethra



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, First Kisses, M/M, Mondo ranting, awkward confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 11:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9180535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valethra/pseuds/Valethra
Summary: Kiyotaka needs glasses, and this prompts a bit too honest of a scolding from Mondo.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to About Him, but stands alone.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru needed glasses. It shouldn't have been a big deal, and it wasn't in and of itself. What bothered Mondo was _why_ , and the fact that he had warned him on multiple occasions.

"I told you not to study if you don't have any light!"

It was an unusual reversal of a common script between the two. Kiyotaka, partially because of his position as a disciplinarian and partially because of his own personality, frequently scolded Mondo. For the biker to be scolding the prefect was an odd change of pace, but not entirely unwelcome.

"But I must study to maintain my grades!"

Kiyotaka was as stubborn as always, and Mondo scoffed.

"Yeah, sure, _study_ , but don't do it all night, and use a goddamn _lamp!_ "

The prefect had barged into his room without warning, as he had taken to doing when he was upset or excited, with the announcement and a slip of paper indicating his scheduled eye appointment. Mondo had just gotten out of the shower, and he was now dressed in flannel pajama pants and a sleeveless undershirt, his loosened hair still dripping and a towel wrapped around his neck. Mondo had been so startled by the news that it had not even crossed his mind to remind Kiyotaka to _knock_ , even as he had quickly scurried to properly cover himself with a towel before the other boy saw a bit too much of him and even as he had quickly thrown on some clothes while Kiyotaka stood completely still with his hands over his eyes.

Now, he had Kiyotaka more or less cornered. He was standing by the door of the dormitory's bathroom, and Mondo had not allowed him to pass, had trapped him where he stood in favor of lecturing him. Kiyotaka eyed the beanbag chairs near the table almost longingly, and he kept looking around as if for an escape route, but Mondo could not be swayed. He placed his hands on his hips and stood at his full height— lessened, of course, by the current lack of pompadour and boots.

"A lamp, kyoudai. It's not a new concept."

Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes a bit and his lips formed a tight line.

"I don't have one."

" _What?_ "

"I do not have a desk lamp, and I cannot ask my father to waste his money on such an expensive trifle, and I cannot use the overhead light at home as it would wake him and he needs to work so early, and I can't use the overhead light here in the dorms because that would violate the lights-out rules—"

"What do you _mean_ you can't ask your dad to buy you a lamp?! Why don't you just use your school stipend?!"

Hope's Peak supplied what was more or less a monthly allowance to its more impoverished students, Mondo himself included as he didn't actually have any parents. With how little money Kiyotaka's family had, and the amount they still owed, Mondo was certain the boy qualified for one. But the prefect shook his head.

"My stipend goes directly to my father. Repaying our debts is more important than—"

" _Fuck!_ "

The expletive was all he could manage to express how he was feeling. Mondo tangled his hands into his wet hair and stomped away from Kiyotaka, frustrated beyond belief. The boy could be downright unreasonable sometimes, usually when it came to his own hypocrisy in taking proper care of himself like he urged everyone else to do. He'd skip meals, pull all-nighters, and miss doctor's visits, all while insisting that others do nothing of the sort.

Mondo threw down his hands with a long sigh and turned around. He had half-expected Kiyotaka to take the opportunity to escape, but he had instead folded his arms and glared.

"Language," he warned, and Mondo rolled his eyes.

" _Frick_." He was careful to enunciate the word while maintaining direct eye contact.

"That's better," Kiyotaka mumbled.

" _I'll_ buy you a lamp," Mondo offered. Kiyotaka reflexively shook his head.

"No, no, kyoudai! I could not allow you to do such a thing! You need to use your stipend to take proper care of yourself!"

"See, there you go again with the hypocrisy! Why don't _you_ 'take proper care of yourself', huh?!"

Kiyotaka drew his shoulder up harshly at that, and looked a bit nervous. His eyes flickered about.

"...I would like to, but I need to keep up my grades. I need to get into a good college. You know how grand my aspirations are... It's just something that I need to do."

Mondo sighed, feeling his anger dissipate somewhat in favor of indecisiveness and anxiety. Kiyotaka wasn't wrong— he wanted to become prime minister, and this was no easy task for a boy from such a poor and tainted background. Politics was a brutal field, and its selection process even more brutal.

But the thing was, Mondo was confident that Kiyotaka could do it, and that he could do it without studying such late hours that he strained his eyesight.

He shook his head, slowly and at nothing in particular, and locked eyes with the other boy. Mondo would do his best to explain his side of things gently, but he worried he'd lose his head. There was a lot that he'd wanted to say to Kiyotaka that he didn't have the courage to.

"You're doing all this... Because you wanna get into a good college."

"Yes, of course. That's what I said."

"Okay, so you'll do your best in school and then you'll get into a good college and do your best there, and then you'll get into politics and then you'll become prime minister and you'll fix the country and then... And _then_ what?! Taka, if you spend your entire life working you'll finish all the work and then realize you never LIVED! And I want you to have more than that. Sure, work hard in school, but work hard at your own happiness, too. Invest some of your time in yourself, and in your family and friends. I know you can do it."

Kiyotaka blinked at him for a moment, having clearly expected something else, but then pouted.

"I don't understand why you feel this sudden need to lecture me about my habits. I simply give my best effort."

"You do, and you _are!_ Every goddamn day! But most people settle for 100% and you're giving, like, 380%, and that's definitely not healthy. You're giving things you don't even _have_ , and one of these days it's gonna catch up with you. Hell, it's already starting to."

Kiyotaka glared down at the paper in his hands, the one Mondo's eyes had briefly flickered to, and crumpled it somewhat in his hands.

"I-If I do not put forth my absolute best, then—"

"Then you'll still do great! You don't even realize how fuckin' smart and talented you are! You could study _less_ than the average guy and still—"

"And still do well in school? Still achieve success, and without any sacrifice? Like a _genius?_ "

Kiyotaka's expression hardened as he hissed the last word, and Mondo shook his head. The prefect's aversion to _geniuses_ , as he put it, was deeply ingrained in him, and Mondo understood this, but it wasn't what he had meant to imply. Not at all.

"No, Taka, not like a genius. You could never be a genius, could _never_ make the same mistakes that your grandfather did, and you _wanna know why?_ "

Kiyotaka raised a suspicious eyebrow at him, but looked curious nonetheless.

"Sure, Mondo. Tell me."

Mondo narrowed his eyes at the challenge and took in a very long, very deep breath of air, filling his lungs to full capacity. He would need it. He could feel the words coming at him like a freight train.

"You could never be a genius because a genius underestimates the people around him. He does shitty things because he thinks he's better and smarter, because, after all, that's what everyone's told him his whole life. He thinks he can do as he pleases because the world was made for him and the rules don't apply to him and no one will ever find out.

"You could never do that because you _believe in people_. You believe in _everyone_ , and you demand the _absolute best_ from everyone and you _never_ take 'I can't do it' for an answer. And if they _really can't do it_ , you do everything in your goddamn power to make sure that they _can_ , and then even if they _still can't_ you _accept that_ , accept that everyone's best is different and that what's important is that they _tried_ no matter what the grade may be!"

"Mondo—"

"You could never be that kind of selfish smartass because you try _so hard_ to understand people. If you don't understand someone's issue, sure, you can be a bit of a loud shithead at first, but then you actively research the problem until you feel like you get it and then you go to them and offer help and encouragement and advice and it's _so fuckin' pure_ , it's _so goddamn simple_ , you don't have any ulterior motives!

"And when you talk, you mean what you say, and then you get to talking about the future and all those big crazy ideas swimmin' around in that little head o' yours and your eyes light up like you can _see it_ , like it's _right there in front of you_ when you talk about how the future is gonna be better and brighter and how you're gonna _be somebody_ and you're gonna _fix things_ , and then somehow you make me believe it because, _fuck_ , who _couldn't_ when you talk like that?!

"And I can't even understand how somebody like you managed to make a believer outta me, because if you'd said somethin' like that to me a year ago I woulda told you the most cynical shit in the world because I had _given up_ , didn't even see the point in tryin' anymore!"

" _Kyoudai_ —"

" _You could never be a genius_ because you care _so much_ about people and about society and you feel _so deeply_ that you'd give everything you fuckin' had, down to your own goddamn _life_ , if it meant the world would be even a little bit better for somebody you love, and don't try'n tell me that you wouldn't. You can't look me in the eye and tell me that you _wouldn't_ lay down your life for somebody. I _know_ you would do it for me, and _fuck_ , that _kills me_ , because I don't deserve an _ounce_ of your fuckin' respect but you _care about me_ , and you push me and scold me and demand that I be somethin', that I be _somebody_ , because you _believe in me_ and you _want me to be happy_ and I... I... _Fuck!_ "

Mondo finally ran out of both words and breath, and he turned to the wall, his hands tangled in his unkempt hair again and his face hot. He tried to regain his composure and even out his now-ragged breathing even as he felt hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He could not for the life of him explain why he was getting so worked up.

Then he turned and saw Kiyotaka's touched and childlike expression, and everything made complete sense.

"Taka, I..." Mondo tried to say. A lump had risen in his throat, and it cut off his words.

Kiyotaka was finally looking up, but he would not meet Mondo's gaze. His eyes rose to study the biker's face for only a moment before quickly falling back to the floor to closely study his boots.

"No one... No one's ever said anything like that to me before." He was wringing the ends of his jacket in his hands. Mondo swallowed.

"I kinda figured." Mondo frowned at how quiet and raspy his voice had become.

"You, uh, had quite a lot to say."

"It's, um. It's stuff I've wanted t' say for a while. I know I'm not the best with words—"

"N-No, I understood what you were saying."

"... _Did ya?_ "

Kiyotaka looked up with wide eyes and a slightly pink face at that, and Mondo inwardly cringed. That had sounded a lot more... _Suggestive_ than he had intended. It was far too open to interpretation, and that wasn't what he needed right now.

Now, he needed to be honest. Excessively honest. He didn't know if it was the right time, but if he continued to use that excuse there may very well never _be_ a right time.

"...Mondo, I—"

Kiyotaka's words were cut off by the insistent press of Mondo's lips to his, and he swallowed the noise of surprise that escaped the smaller boy as he pinned him to the wall with rough hands. He held the prefect's shoulders firmly in place and felt them tense somewhat. Kiyotaka's lips were soft, and he smelled like mint and tasted like unflavored chapstick.

Mondo had wanted to do this for months.

Kiyotaka stiffened for only a moment, and then he seemed to melt into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Mondo's neck and pulling him closer as the biker forced his mouth open against the prefect's and moved one of his hands to tenderly cup his face. Kiyotaka made sounds of both pleasure and surprise against Mondo's tongue, and his hands moved to tangle through his hair and the larger man groaned, or perhaps _grunted_ , a deep, guttural sound accidentally released from the back of his throat. He could feel that Taka's face had grown hot, and there was a telltale wetness on his cheeks.

Kiyotaka was _kissing him back_ , kissing him _eagerly_ despite the somewhat clumsy slide of his inexperienced lips.

Mondo could feel himself quickly becoming short of breath, but that didn't seem to matter somehow. This moment was far more important. The way the other boy's eyelashes fluttered and breathing hitched and hands trembled as they clutched at his clothing were the most important things in the world.

He finally broke away from the kiss— reluctantly, and only because he had completely run out of air— and moved back to study Kiyotaka's face. The prefect's eyes were wide and glistened with tears, though not ones of sadness. His cheeks had reddened, and he bit his lip. He blushed further when he noticed the biker's gaze and looked down, gently touching one hand to his lips. Mondo took the hand and moved it aside, leaning in to kiss away the salty tears at the corners of his eyes, and then pressed his own lips to the smaller boy's forehead, his cheeks, and his nose. To his surprise, Kiyotaka chased his mouth with his own and recaptured it, pulling Mondo close by grabbing at the towel still laid across his neck and shoulders.

The second embrace only confirmed what Mondo had begun to suspect— Kiyotaka was what could be referred to as a _noisy_ kisser. Every movement seemed to draw more sounds from him, be they hums or whimpers or mewls or moans. Mondo liked it. He liked it _a lot_. And though he was ashamed to admit it, it made his mind wander. He wondered if Kiyotaka was always so _expressive_ , wondered how he would respond to _other things_ , but he was once again forced to withdraw for lack of oxygen. He'd have to get his answer later— for now, he probably owed the prefect an explanation.

"...I got a little carried away," he admitted after he'd regained enough breath to speak. His voice had gotten low and gravelly by now. Kiyotaka buried his face in the biker's chest and chuckled, a sound Mondo felt rather than heard.

"That's okay. I quite enjoyed it. Though I do apologize if my behavior was... _Unbecoming_ for someone in my position."

"No one else is here. 'S not like you're bein' graded on this."

"That's true."

"...I'd give ya a good grade, though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Like, 250%. ...Maybe more."

"That _is_ a good grade."

Kiyotaka looked up at him and smiled. The tears had stopped, and now he looked positively radiant. Mondo couldn't remember ever having seen him this happy, and that thought brought a smile to his own face.

"I love you," Kiyotaka said suddenly, and Mondo's eyes widened. Kiyotaka didn't seem to think it was a big deal, and he grabbed the biker's hands, idly playing with his calloused fingers.

"Wha— What the _fuck_ , _I_ was supposed to say that!"

Mondo felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, and he was having trouble deciding whether to react to how casually Kiyotaka had admitted it or to the fact that he felt his moment had been stolen from him, had been _usurped_. He didn't even have time to deal with the blush that had risen to his cheeks upon hearing that.

"You already did!" Kiyotaka exclaimed, looking genuinely confused.

"No, I didn't!" Mondo was sure he would have remembered saying that.

"Maybe not _out loud_ , but that's what you meant with that little rant and that kiss, right? I'm not _that_ dense."

Mondo opened his mouth to protest, and then the words died in his throat and he closed it again. Kiyotaka was right. He was _always_ right.

"C...Can I say it, though? I mean, I kinda worked up to it and everything..."

Kiyotaka's face flushed, and he paused his fiddling with Mondo's hands and clasped them firmly.

"I-If you want to." He looked up expectantly, and Mondo flashed him his fiercest grin.

" _God_ , I fuckin' _love the shit outta you_."

Kiyotaka reclaimed his own hands and slapped them firmly against his own face, and Mondo laughed as he grabbed his wrists to pull them away.

" _Language_ , kyoudai! Now is not the time!"

Mondo winced.

"I-I dunno that you should still call me kyoudai..."

Kiyotaka processed the statement for a moment, and then he cringed as he thought on it more deeply.

"...I do suppose it would no longer be appropriate to call you my brother. What should I call you instead?"

Now _there_ was a question. Mondo racked his brain for a moment before arriving at the obvious answer.

"...How about ya jus' call me Mondo? 'N I'll just call you Taka."

Kiyotaka blushed. It wasn't like he never used Mondo's first name, but standing here and deciding on new names for each other felt strangely intimate, strangely _official_. He nodded, even as a strangled noise escaped the back of his throat. Mondo smiled at him more warmly than ever before and squeezed his hands.

"D... Does this mean ya wanna be my, uh, _boyfriend?_ Because, um, I'd really, really like that."

Kiyotaka pondered the statement for a moment, and then hid his red face in the biker's broad chest.

"...It does. I would very much like that, too."

Having sealed the deal, Kiyotaka smiled, and he pulled his gruff but wonderful new boyfriend in for a congratulatory kiss. Mondo allowed him to do so for only a moment before he suddenly pulled his head back, fixing the prefect with a determined scowl.

"I'm still buyin' ya a desk lamp, though. You can't stop me."

Kiyotaka groaned, but offered no other resistance, and Mondo wrapped him in a tender hug. It seemed that, for now, he would have to compromise.

**Author's Note:**

> These dorks kill me


End file.
